Waterfront makes endangered sites list

Maritime properties that stretch from the burned-down Greenpoint Terminal Market to the Brooklyn Army Terminal, where Elvis was shipped off to the (Cold) war, are in danger of being overrun by development, a coalition of preservationists said.

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"It sounds the alarm for Brooklyn's historic district, which is disappearing faster than you can say Domino Sugar," said Wendy Nicholas of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, referring to the Williamsburg sugar refinery slated to be turned into condos.

"Brooklyn need not lose its history to make way for development," said Nicholas, director of the group's Northeast office.

Neighborhoods such as DUMBO can become like Manhattan's TriBeCa and SoHo, she said, where some factories are still in use and others are used for purposes other than their original ones.

City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks recently received a $250,000 grant that will enable it to conduct more in-depth research into the historical significance of potential landmarks, including those on the Brooklyn waterfront, said subcommittee Chairwoman Jessica Lappin.

"Preserving our heritage and planning for the future is important," Lappin said.

Freight traffic is expected to rise 50% in New York Harbor over the next five years, which means that waterfront properties will be in high demand for uses such as ship repair yards, said Roberta Weisbrod of the Partnership for Sustainable Ports.

"Our waterfront is being eaten up," Weisbrod said, noting that repair yards in Red Hook and another in Bayonne have been shuttered.

Some residents were happy to have the waterfront nominated.

"The increased tourism, the film industry presence and high real estate values make this neighborhood worth preserving," said Doreen Gallo of the DUMBO Neighborhood Association.